The following description is provided to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art.
Diseases affecting coronary blood vessels, cerebral blood vessels, renal blood vessels, etc. are common causes of disability and death among humans. One way in which researchers attempt to prevent and treat such diseases is by studying the affect of vaso-active agents on blood vessels. If a desirable response of a blood vessel is identified after application of a vaso-active agent to the blood vessel, the vaso-active agent that elicited the desirable response may be developed into a drug for use in treatment of a disease or condition affecting the blood vessel.
One traditional method for determining the response of a blood vessel to a vaso-active agent involves the use of a tension transducer. The tension transducer is anchored to a blood vessel sample, generally at two distinct locations of the blood vessel sample. The vaso-active agent is applied to the blood vessel sample, which may be located in an organ bath. The tension transducer is then used to measure a displacement of the blood vessel sample in response to the vaso-active agent.